Door-indicator



(No Model.)

A. P. BRANDENBURG.

DOOR INDICATOR.

Patented Jun 27, 1893.

a y O E I ha N W n MT .A M .N M A; m

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT F. BRANDENBURG, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

DOOR-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,316, dated June 2'7, 1893.

Application filed August 22, 1892.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. BRANDEN- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door-Indicators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in office indicators, and consists of a novel and convenient device that may be attached to the doors of oflices, or any other business establishment to indicate the abscnce of the occupant and the time he is expected to return.

The object of my invention is to provide means to accomplish the above in a cheap and reliable manner; I do this by providing an indicator for the doors of offices, which is locked automatically, to the position at which it is set, by closing the door; consisting of a revolving dial with words on the exposed face thereof, in radial lines, indicating the time the occupant will return to his office or any other information it may be desirable to indicate; a strip of spring metal having a horizontal rectangular aperture, one end of which is secured to the center of the dial and the other end locked against the rim of the dial by coming against the frame of the door, the aperture being over the words desired to be specially indicated, serves as a sight opening through which they may be seen.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1, is a front view of the device when attached to the door (a portion of which is broken away). Fig. 2, is a horizontal section, taken on a line below the center of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detached sectional View; Fig. 4s, a plan view of the knob or button, with the attaching screw in section; Fig. 5, a side view showing the clip to hold paper on which messages may be writ ten; Fig. 6, a sectional detached view of the tubular standard forming part of the revolving plate, or attached thereto, and a portion of the plate also in section, with the position of the knob or button indicated in broken lines; Fig. 7, an elevation of a part of a door, and door frame showing the point H of Serial No. M31722. (No modelspring H, when the revolving plate B, is locked.

The letter A, indicates the ofiice door; B, the revolving plate secured thereto by means of the screw O, which passes through a central opening in a tubular stud B, rigidly attached to the revolving plate, in any convenient manner, (or forming an integral part thereof.) This stud is preferablyof reetangular section, but will be equally efficient of any other shape, when provided with means of securing the knob D, thereto in such a manner that when the knob is revolved, it will carry the stud and plate B, with it. The knob should be so arranged that it may be easily removed from the tubular stud B and as easily replaced thereon, for purposes hereinafter described.

E, is a piece of card board having an aperture pierced in the center thereof, of a size to permit it being placed over the tubular stud and down upon the plate B, the knob being removed for this purpose and replaced when the paper has been put in the desired position; this construction is to enable the paper to be easily removed from the plate, when soiled or defaced. It will be observed that radial lines are drawn upon the paper, between which, it is intended to print such words as the business of the occupant of the oifice (where the device is used) maybe found the most convenient or appropriate.

The revolving plate B, is preferably made of tin, or other sheet metal, and has an upwardly extending rim (1)), the said rim being spaced at suitable distances apart, and then notched as at G, to receive the locking device g, of the spring H, which is perforated to receive the screw 0, and held down to the paper E, and revolving plate B, by the knob D. This spring has a slot 6, through which may be seen the words printed on the paper E, as left by the occupant of the office, when absent therefrom.

In order to prevent any change in the position of the revolving plate (while the occupant is absent) the door in closing, causes the point of the spring 11 to come in contact with the door casing, and pushes the spring H, toward the revolving plate and thereby forces the locking device g into one of the series of notches G, and thereby prevents the revolving plate B, from being turned on its axis until the door is opened again. The spring H. is also provided with a screw C. by means of which the movement of the spring in an outward direction may be adjusted, and also maintain the spring in a horizontal position. The spring H. is also bent to form a clip as shown at K. which is intended to hold a message or card that may be left by a visitor, when the occupant is away; in like mannera clip L. below the revolving plate B. is intended to hold blank paper upon which messages may be written and then inserted in the clip K. The plate B. is turned on its axis by means of the button or knob D.

It is obvious that changes in the construction of the device may be made Without departing from my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In combination with the door and the frame or casing thereof, an office indicator consisting of a revolving dial attached to the outside of the door, said dial bearing words indicating the absence of the occupants of the office, and having an outwardly extending rim 1) with notches therein, the transverse piece H, composed of spring metal and rigidly attached to the axis of said dial, in a manner to bring the end H beyond the rim of the dial, whereby the part g is locked in the notches of the rim when the door is closed; the casing of said door pressing the end ll inwardly, substantially as herein described.

2. In an ofiice indicator, the combination with the stud B, the revolving dial with outwardly projecting rim having notches therein, and the clip L, of the locking device consisting of the transverse spring H, with the end thereof H extending beyond the rim of the dial, the rectangular opening 0, through which may be seen the indicating words on the dial, and the part g to engage with the notches in the rim of the dial and become socured therein, by the end I'l being pressed against the casing of the door when said door is closed, as herein described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT F. BEAN DENBURG.

Witnesses:

HARVEY OONOVER, R. JAY MOOARTY. 

